1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holding devices, particularly to bundling straps for securing articles such as newspapers or other items into neat, manageable bundles.
2. Description of Prior Art
Presently, a plurality of devices are used for bundling articles and holding them in a neatly bundled state.
One such holder, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,997 to R. W. Van Riper, consists of a tab with a pair of notched sides and a buckle with a pair of resiliently attached toothed arms. The tab is locked in the buckle when the arms are moved adjacent to the tab and the teeth on the arms are maintained within a pair of notches on the tab. When the arms are moved away from the tab and the teeth are disengaged from the notches, the tab may be removed from the buckle.
Although this device is suitable for tying together bundles of cables, it has a relatively great thickness, which makes it inconvenient for transportation and storage, as well as unsuitable for stacking bundles onto each other. Additionally, to provide sufficient strength, this device is usually made of plastic, which is not recyclable.
Another such device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,173 to R. S. Schwarz, comprises a strap having a plurality of teeth on at least one longitudinal edge for engagement with at least one detent placed within a longitudinal passage extending through a head member formed as a portion of the strap.
This bundling strap is incrementally adjustable. However, it can not be reused due to the irreversible nature of its pawl mechanism, i.e., it is not disengageable. Additionally, to provide sufficient strength, this device is also usually made of plastic, which is not recyclable.
A metal strap joint, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,023,059 to E. G. S. Vaughn, fastens when its tongues engage with slots. A lock is obtained by laying one end of the strap over the other end, ridging the overlapping portions of the strap, and forming tongues in one overlapping portion. The tongues engage in slots in the other overlapping portion and lie in a position where they are below the upper level of the ridged portion. However, the above strap joint is intended for heavy duty applications, expensive to manufacture, and is not suitable for household use.
A bale tie, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,035,351 to A. B. Taylor, comprises a metal band with a plurality of rectangular teeth on each side and at each end of the band. Since the teeth are bent, the tension on the band causes the teeth to engage when the ends of the band are placed one over the other. This bundling device is intended for heavy duty only, and is not suitable for household applications, especially since its exposed metal teeth pose a considerable hazard.
A newspaper bundler is described in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,316, granted Jun. 11, 1991, but this device uses a metal frame and adhesive attachments of its bundling straps, making it more expensive to manufacture.